The Courage of Bravery
by Two-Faced Procrastinator
Summary: To be brave meant to have no fear of what was in front of you. To be courageous meant to be able to face your fears without hesitation. Put those together, and you get the courage of bravery. To love someone unconditionally. *Female Tsuna.*
1. Me

A little something that popped into my head a while back.

I hope it's good enough.

Lots of love, Two-Faced Procrastinator.

* * *

**The Courage of Bravery**

_To be brave meant to have no fear of what was in front of you._

_To be courageous meant to be able to face your fears without hesitation._

_Put those together, and you get the courage of bravery._

_To love someone unconditionally._

* * *

Ever since she was little, Sawada Tsunahime had been living with Reborn.

The hitman was somewhat of a father figure to her, someone she learned to trust and knew what was best for her. Sure, he didn't show his real emotions most of the time. But she was the same, except she almost never talked. Her form of communication was body language, in which Reborn replied with normal speech, as if nothing was wrong with it.

But unknown to others, they also had a special bond.

He taught her all sorts of things she needed to know in order to survive society, and she taught him how to be human. Well, all she was doing was reminding him that he had a heart, but it was a mutual understanding that it meant a lot to him.

She relied on him to have a reason to keep on living. He relied on her for the sake of keeping his sanity intact.

They were each others' mental support. Neither of them remembered their actual families, if they had any at all.

Reborn had told her that her last name was real, but she didn't go out to find her mother or father. She didn't feel the need to. Reborn was enough of a family for her.

Many times, he would come back to the apartment room they shared with blood on his suit, the same suit that she had scrubbed clean over and over again without a single peep of a complaint when she was old enough, and the thick smell of gunpowder lingering on his skin.

But she wouldn't say anything.

Not a single thing.

Instead, she would simply go to the bathroom. He would silently follow – he always did – and then she would proceed to take off the dirtied clothes without embarrassment at seeing his bare form. She felt no such attraction to him, and she knew that he didn't think of her that way either.

And while he would take a shower she would wash away all the grime in the suit by hand, because washing machines just didn't seem to be able to do it, no matter how many times she repeatedly tossed it in, no matter how much detergent she poured. Doing it personally seemed to work better, and it saved electricity and water. Reborn had always told her it wasn't beneficial to waste.

Her arms would be sore and her back would ache and her legs would be asleep by the time she was done, but seeing the clean state of his suit would be more than enough make up for the pain, and she endured it with contentment. Then she would iron it until it looked brand new, which took so long that even Reborn had once told her that it was a waste of time. But he only said it once, because she had smiled and told him that it made her happy to see him wear her hard work.

After that he had never brought it up again, and simply let her do as she pleased.

When her tenth birthday came around, her present was the privilege to go grocery shopping.

It may have sounded arrogant of Reborn to give her such a ridiculous 'present' to others, but to Tsunahime, it was absolutely wonderful. All her past 'presents' were the same, such as being taught how to shoot a gun or learning how to read, speak, and write another language.

Receiving the right to shop for food meant that Reborn trusted her with the importance of money and believed that she was able to face the outside world – which she had never ventured out to by herself.

Over time, she learned what brands were better than others, what was healthier, whether or not to buy items on sale, and the significance of nutrient intake in one's diet. She asked the people behind the counters about the ingredients they were selling, always tried the samples, and never failed to pick up free recipe cards, taking new ones every time she saw them. She would show them to Reborn, and either he would pick one, or ask for a repeat of a meal she cooked in the past if he was in the mood.

At first, Tsunahime wasn't all that good at cooking. Her dishes were just barely passable. She didn't know if it was just hunger or gratitude that compelled Reborn eat them at all. But over time, her sense of taste and smell developed, and eventually she was able to create food that was fit for good eating. However, her young taste buds weren't all gone, and once in a while she would make something light for the sake of her tongue.

Often, she wondered why she was like this.

Doing all that she could to support him, and never wanting to cause him any trouble. The strange satisfaction with the relationship she had with Reborn, and not liking those who were outwardly nice to her. Her dislike for talking and loud noises. Her preference for solitary company and silence, her liking to tight spaces, her habit of climbing to tall heights and admiration of natural weather.

If she were someone that lived in a normal environment, she knew that she would have been bullied for her weirdness, or shunned by those around her. Her uncommon way of thinking was not seen in children her age, and would be considered a disorder.

But Reborn – the man that was practically her father – had said something different.

"You're Tsunahime, aren't you? The girl I raised and learned from? What do other people have to do with it?"

It was strange, really.

The way she had smiled, the happiness that bubbled deep within the part of her heart that she thought was dull and unmoving.

The part of her heart that had craved love from the ones she had come from.

Then, she realized something. No matter who her real parents were, no matter how well they knew her, no matter how much they loved her...

No one could replace the part that Reborn had made his. He had created a little niche, and stuck a bit of him inside it permanently. It was pleasantly warm, something that would always be special to her.

It wasn't until he had shown her the official adoption papers that she realized that she had done the same to him.

The name she had unknowingly clung to had no more importance.

"Sawada" was no longer a part of her.

She was Tsunahime, and there was nothing else she would ask for.

* * *

**A/N:**

I've always wanted to feel that way with anyone in my family.

It's a wonderful feeling, really.

But it seems that I'm only able to have that feeling when I'm alone and sleeping without trouble.

Thank you for reading until the very end, and please point out any grammar or punctuation mistakes.

Lots of love from me. :')


	2. Ernest Hemingway

**A/N:**

this was a very considerate and understanding request from ADDBaby (nice name lol)

now, i know this lovely person wasnt the first one to ask for a more chapters, but

i mean

i never get requests

and

this one was just so

_kind_

:'I

so i guess im kind of

"back"

:/

nonotreallysorrybutyeahIhaveagoodoutsidelifenowso

**DISCLAIMER THAT WASN'T THERE THE FIRST TIME:** Tsuna did have a sister in the one-shot, but the serialized version didn't... I suppose only my Tsunahime is partially mine and partially canon? Sad that KHR! ended, but I'm also glad it didn't go on like Bleach when it could have ended... (._.)

* * *

_"Courage is grace under pressure."_

* * *

Tsunahime was the tender age of nine when she first seriously contemplated the fact that nobody knew who she was.

At first, she'd thought it was because she almost never said a word, or caused any racket in the apartment. She was an obedient little thing―she did as she was told by her adoptive father because she saw nothing good come from being a bad child.

Reborn expected her to be good, and his expectations were met. Tsunahime also expected him to be good, and that, more or less, was met as well.

When someone came knocking on the door, she stayed silent, no matter who the person knocking claimed themselves to be. She didn't fully comprehend Reborn's job or what he did for it, but she knew enough to not open the door to anyone if it wasn't the dark hitman.

She did notice, however, that not one visitor ever asked for her to let them in. No _"little girl, open the door"_, or _"I know you're in there, kid"_, not even _"isn't Reborn raising a child?"_

Just usually _"hello, is anyone in there"_ and _"let us in, Reborn"_ and _"we are in need of your expertise"_.

Not a single word or phrase that implied of her presence in the apartment, and Tsunahime thought it was sort of odd.

From what she'd gathered, her foster father was famous. And she learned from the television that if someone was famous, people clamored to find out everything about them.

Reborn was famous, but hardly anyone knew anything about him... or at least his personal life. The tiny girl pondered if it was because people knew what he was capable of and feared the consequences of revealing―or trying to, anyway―anything about the inside story of the strongest hitman in the world.

That was probably it, actually. Tsunahime settled on that resolution and shrugged to herself, ignoring the pounding on the door and the shouting outside quite well.

The little brunette rolled her big brown eyes uncharacteristically at the racket today's visitors were making. Give it some time, and they would go away, but these people made it seem like they were never going to.

And from the absence of neighbors in the apartment trying to make them stop signified that these visitors weren't exactly friendly―they were the kind that Reborn did business with, the kind that he told her _specifically_ to never show her presence to.

After about one more minute of rather annoying noise outside the door leading to Reborn and her living compartment, Tsunahime heard sentences that caught her drifting attention.

_"Can't we just kick the goddamn door in?"_

_"Unless you want to get yourself killed, go ahead."_

_"Well... not like rumors are _true_, why would _this_ one be? Let's do it."_

_"_'Let's'_? Oh, no, not me. _You_ do it, since you're so fucking _brave_."_

_"Fine, I _will_. Gimme a sec."_

Almost instantly then she remembered that Reborn had told her to hide as well. She got to her feet quietly and immediately looked for a place to conceal herself in.

Not the living room, they would ransack it the moment they busted in. And besides from behind the TV, there were no good places to hide.

Tsunahime turned and padded lightly over to her and Reborn's room, but then thought against it. They would go to there next to search for whatever they wanted. The big wardrobe seemed like a nice place to hide, but that too would be checked.

Frowning, she glanced over to the closet and at once looked away just as quickly. She went over to the window and looked down the best she could with her lacking height. _Too far down_, she sighed mentally.

The only option left was the kitchen.

With puffed cheeks and raised eyebrows, the little girl considered it. The kitchen was her domain―she ruled it (mostly) and knew it like the back of her hand. The counter was connected to the stove, and where the counter stopped was the refrigerator. Above the refrigerator that took up half the space was a roomy built-in cabinet that stretched across the one entire side of the kitchen.

She could hide there, inside that; it looked like a part of the wall and had no handles, it worked with a pushing mechanism. Making her decision, she took out the biggest pot from under the sink. Placing the pot on top of the counter, she pulled herself over and picked up the big cooking ware, putting it over her head as she stepped carefully over the stove so that not a single creak or metallic groan was made.

A single loud _bang_ echoed through the apartment, earning it a flinch from Tsunahime. The unfriendly visitors were starting their break-in mission.

_Well_, she thought to herself with a quiet scoff, _I'm almost finished with mine_. With that, she put the pot down and stepped on it to climb onto the top of the refrigerator. She shivered at the cold touch of the freezer, but quickly composed herself and turned herself around, reaching with both hands for the pot.

Keeping it within arms reach, she pushed at the cabinet and opened it wide as it unlocked with a soft click. Sliding inside backwards, she placed the big pot outside and tucked her hand into the sleeve a little. With a sharp tug, the cabinet clicked shut.

The space inside was a bit cramped, but she was lucky that she at least fit and thanked her genes―whoever it was from―that she was unusually small for her age. It was a tight fit on the sides, but height wise it was enough for two of her. Length wise, she had enough for another head.

Tsunahime had thought her toes touched something hard (_strange, there was nothing kept up here_) when the sound of crashes and rough shouting reached her ears. A wall-vibrating dull _thud_ told her that the men and knocked over the television―which she thought was unnecessary if they were looking for something, maybe they were here for revenge of some sorts?

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the short screech of metal, indicating that the frame for the bed Reborn shared with her was bent. The TV hadn't upset her that much, she could live without it―but the bed?

She lowered her eyes dejectedly. So many nice memories were spent on that bed, ranging from the questionable but exciting tales her adoptive father would tell her as a bedtime stories to just taking a quiet and peaceful moment to take in each other's presence.

The next victim wasn't hard to pinpoint, the unmistakable chaos of wood breaking practically splintered in her ears. Tsunahime tried not to cry, but her eyes watered anyway. Those terrible men were trashing her home and she could do nothing about it.

Sniffing quietly, she shifted her numbing legs and flipped herself to her back. The tips of her sock-covered toes bumped against something solid. A quizzical look replacing her previous sullen one, she carefully picked the object up and brought her knees to her chest, hands reaching down to grab the mysterious item.

It was dark inside the cabinet, and her young eyes couldn't even pick out the outline of the thing. So she ran her fingers over it, her eyes growing wider and wider has she recognized the shape.

Reborn's Reverse One Ton Mallet.

...or what it seemed to be.

The little girl peered closer at the weapon, wondering why she was able to pick it up when it was, well, one ton.

But then again, Reborn could pick it up. And he wasn't that much stronger than her... was he?

Tsunahime shrugged and held the so-called "one ton" mallet in the air, looking blindly at it. She focused all her concentration at the hammer-like object, hoping the intensity of it would distract her from hearing the two men destroy her home.

_What's Reborn doing?_ The curious thought whispered in her mind, taking her away to imagination and slowly drifting into dreamland. _I hope he's doing well._ She really did, because _this_ was happening to her. When something bad happened, specifically to her, somehow her foster father would be able to tell and voiced out his knowing of it. Then he'd somehow fixed it, with either the force of his own power, or just some simple but precious words.

She missed him already. The tiny brunette didn't know what time it was, it felt as if it were forever since she'd hid in the kitchen cabinet. But reality informed her that it hadn't been long after the not-so-friendly visitors barged into her home, and even before then she remembered it was almost time that Reborn came back to her.

Turning so that she laid on one side, her eyes finally decisively closed and she sank into a sleep.

The Reverse One Ton Mallet slipped from her grasp.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Reborn felt a sense of wrongness throbbing in the back of his mind, keeping him from focusing on the "conversational argument" (which he knew was bullshit, this group of so-called "strongest" only bickered and fought like school children) taking place before him.

His crossed legs were an involuntary act of trying to contain his inner discomfort. In act, everything about him at the moment was cross. His legs, his arms, and the worst of them all, his mood.

Leon seemed to notice his human partner's unwelcome anxiety and nervously curled and uncurled his tail at an erratic pace. The world could do without a cross Reborn. A cross Reborn only made things worse in life.

The darkly-dressed hitman tightened his jaws, tapping his arm impatiently with one finger. He wanted this to be over with already, there was really no point in this "meeting". Every time the strongest gathered either someone (or more) got hurt, or it was full of annoying, completely unnecessary, nerve-testing, chatter and arguing.

After a couple more seconds of what felt like an eternity for him, Reborn finally got fed up. He stood suddenly without warning, startling almost everyone in the isolated metal room, including himself. It wasn't like him to make such jerky movements―he was a smooth, suave character, not some jittery fool.

But by god, he felt like one.

And _almost_ everyone were surprised by this.

_Almost_ everyone... except Luce.

As the designated "sky" of their little group of seven, naturally she noticed how unusually twitchy her "sun" was behaving. She thought of voicing her own concerns, but then she caught herself.

Reborn didn't really like being worried after. The best she could do was...

"You may leave, if you wish."

The world's strongest hitman jumped a few millimeters in his seat, having not expected it. He gave his "sky" a sharp look, daring her to reveal his problem to everyone in the metal room. Luce merely smiled at his glare and tilted her head loftily, inclining to the steel doors.

She repeated, a bit quieter and firmer, "You can leave." A hand rubbed her growing belly involuntarily. "I understand."

Sometimes, Reborn hated that Luce seemed to know everything. Being a seer gave her a huge advantage to every situation, including against himself. It made him feel antsy―he was slowly getting used to it, but it still made him extremely wary of her.

But right now, he was grateful for it. With a curt nod, he turned sharply on his heel, ignoring the protests and jibes shouted after him. He just barely held himself back from running until he exited the abandoned metal building.

Maybe he was being silly, but as the chaos inside him built up to dangerous levels, he found that he didn't care.

Reborn revved the care engine and gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles went white.

His daughter had better be safe.

* * *

**A/N:**

yes, i am doing this to you

a cliffhanger

i suppose :p

now all of you gotta wait another half year for the next one LOLS

yeahnotfunnysorry

welllllll

feel free to express your opinions and/or PM me about this

or something else idk what haha

thanks for readinggggggg

two faced ineedtochangemynamesorry

;-;

(that quote didnt really make up reborn's actions did it..

oh, well

you go hime!)


End file.
